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MANCHESTER. — Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has landed in the city to start rebuilding the once-great English Premier League soccer side. With favourite forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic in and mistrusted midfielder Juan Mata set to be shipped out to English Premier League rivals Everton, the Special One is already hard at work. The Portuguese has a busy few weeks ahead as he has to cope with a number of under-performing and unsettled players.
The Portuguese boss arrived in Manchester on Sunday night and stayed at the club’s favoured Lowry Hotel in the city. Mourinho was spotted leaving the hotel at 7:50am yesterday to travel to United’s Carrington training ground with plenty of work to do as United prepare for the new season.
He sent a message on instagram on Sunday night stating: “I am here/UNITED we can.” Mourinho is tasked with rebuilding a squad that has won just one trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as manager three years ago.
Predecessors David Moyes and Louis van Gaal failed to bring success back to the club, with just one FA Cup trophy, won in May, to show for their efforts. United head into next season without Champions League football, having finished sixth in the Premier League last term, and with a huge squad restructuring job to undertake.
The Red Devils will benefit from the Premier League’s £5.1billion domestic TV rights deal coming into effect this summer, with each top-flight club earning a minimum £99million per season from the three-year deal.
Mourinho, who was confirmed as United’s new boss in late May, has £200m to spend on new signings. He has already wrapped up the £30m arrival of Villarreal defender Eric Bailly and free agent Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the verge of completing his move to Old Trafford.
United tried and failed to land Barcelona frontman Neymar – apparently even sending a representative to Brazil to try and coax the 24-year-old away from the Nou Camp – but a move for Mexico youngster Hirving Lozano could be wrapped up once the Rio Olympics have ended.
United are also expected to offload a number of names as well, with Adnan Januzaj, Ashley Fletcher and Juan Mata all linked with exits. Mata, in particular, could face the axe after originally being sold by Mourinho to United two years ago when the pair were at Chelsea.
Mourinho has already overseen assistant manager Ryan Giggs’ departure after 29 years at the club. Giggs was offered a lesser role in Mourinho’s backroom staff and has decided to leave the Old Trafford club with whom he made his debut back in 19991.
Mourinho on Sunday posted a video on his instagram account of him leaving a Virgin train at Manchester Piccadilly station. The former Chelsea boss – sacked by the Blues in September – is back from a family holiday in the Maldives and is keen to get to work.
The two-time Champions League winner has three weeks to work on his squad before United start their pre-season tour with a clash against Mkhitaryan’s current club Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai. — The Sun.
Online Reporter